Year of the Lion
by BelleDayNight
Summary: While Fairy Tail is disbanded, Lucy moves to the Spirit World with Loke to train for the Star Dress. Gray isn't happy about the situation and must learn to control his new powers, before Loke charms and steals away Lucy's heart. Unfortunately, Gray's new powers have unleashed a monster he must conquer, or else risk hurting those he cares for most. Beta-ed by ShiroKuro OokamiRyu.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Year of the Lion**

 **Summary:** After the defeat of Tartaros, Fairy Tail is temporarily disbanded. Lucy trains with Loke in the year-long interlude, but Loke has an ulterior motive. Will a bet between Gray and Loke endanger their relationship with Lucy? Gray isn't happy about the situation as his best friend is now after the woman he cares for most.

Beta-ed by ShiroKuro OokamiRyu.

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

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She stared down at the piece of paper with the childish script and simple message. Natsu and Happy had simply left, _'Gone off to train. See you in about a year.'_

Lucy crumpled the note, knowing that Natsu was long gone by now. She shoved the note into the shallow pocket of her short skirt. Maybe she could find Erza and Gray. Together, they could easily track Natsu and bring him back. It was hard enough having lost her oldest friend. To lose her first friend in Fairy Tail was too much. She couldn't handle the sadness.

Fighting tears with a determined set of her jaw, Lucy started for what remained of the guild hall. Whenever she wanted to cry out, she could hear the echo of Aquarius' voice in her mind scolding her for being an overly dramatic child. She knew that voice was only a figment of her imagination, but it helped soothe the ache in her heart just a bit.

The streets of Magnolia were in a state of disarray. Buildings sustained heavy damage from the fires and blasts, debris floated along the river, and polluted the banks with trash. The once beautiful city, home to Fairy Tail, was a wasteland.

A crowd of four elderly women blocked her path towards the guild hall. She overheard their conversation and intent to have a heated discussion with that Makarov troublemaker.

She would have laughed, but she was afraid a laugh would turn into a sob that she couldn't control. Lucy stared past the elderly women and focused on her singular goal of reaching the guild hall and talking to her teammates about retrieving that hot-headed Natsu.

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* * *

 **OoO**

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"You have got to cheer up!" Loke slapped his hand briefly over Gray's shoulder while his other hand held up a mug of ale.

Gray lightly tapped his mug against Loke's. "It's been a stressful couple of days," he murmured. "It's not every battle that I learn what became of my father and gain a new and incredible power." He half-heartedly sipped from his mug and then used it to gesture towards the heavily damaged guild hall. "This place is falling down around us. I wish Master Makarov would have allowed me to use Ice Make Magic to reinforce the walls."

"You know it's too warm this time of year for it to last," Loke cautioned. He looked at a nearby table where Juvia sat staring at Gray with hearts floating in her eyes. "Your shadow is still nearby."

"She's not so bad," Gray argued. "So long as I don't encourage her, we make a good team with our powers."

Loke drained his mug and set it on the table. "I wish I could have seen Lucy when she summoned the Celestial Spirit King."

"I'm not sure anyone really saw it. Most of us were unconscious or engaged in battle elsewhere. But as we were all about to die before she pulled her trick, it must have been amazing," Gray said. "Let's talk about something else, maybe something more cheery."

"More cheery, eh?" Loke asked. He gestured towards the broken walls. "I'm guessing the state of our guild hall is out of the range of discussion."

"Decidedly so," Gray agreed. He stared at Loke for a long, thoughtful moment. "You've not mentioned any of your latest conquests. Have you any new tales to share?"

Loke shook his head. "Sadly, no. I've been too concerned about other matters." He drummed his fingers upon the tabletop and stared across the room at Cana. She was guzzling the kegs of alcohol without any real effort. It was both impressive and repulsive at the same time. No guy liked to be out drunk. How could a guy take advantage of the girl's lower standards from too much alcohol if he passed out before the girl ever became tipsy?

Gray looked over his shoulder at Juvia and turned back towards Loke with a shudder. "How does she just keep staring like that?"

"Guess she likes what she sees," Loke said with a shrug. "You remember when we used to make wagers? About what girl I could make fall in love with me?"

"Yeah," Gray said cautiously. "It's been a couple of years since then."

Loke nodded. It had been two years for them, nine for most other Fairy Tail members. Ever since Lucy joined the guild and his status of non-human origin was revealed, Loke had backed off significantly on his conquest of the Kingdom of Fiore. "Let's do another one. For old time's sake. The winner gets the same as usual — bragging rights."

"All right," Gray said. "But, I get to pick the girl you target." He peered around the guild hall. For a moment he thought he might pawn Juvia off onto Loke and maybe end her obsession with him. He shook his head, dispelling the notion. That wouldn't be right. Juvia was just lonely. She was attached to Gray because he was the first person to ever offer her hope and he couldn't allow her to be taken advantage like that. His dark navy eyes landed upon Cana and her ceaseless consumption of alcohol. She certainly wouldn't mind sleeping with Loke, but she wasn't likely to fall in love. She might be a good challenge.

The door to the guild hall opened and then fell off its hinges, crashing to the stone floor. A trio of elderly women walked in with a purpose. "Come on, Hilda! Hurry up!" one of the women shouted back impatiently.

Gray smiled and turned towards Loke eagerly.

The Lion Spirit had followed Gray's line of sight and cleared his throat nervously. "Now, Gray, be fair," Loke begged.

"The next woman that walks through that door," Gray said. "You will make her fall in love with you."

Loke was about to protest. He could do a lot of things, but fake an interest in an old woman wasn't one of them. He saw a whiff of blond hair. "Okay, you have a deal," he hurriedly agreed.

Gray reached out his hand and Loke shook it, sealing the bet.

In walked Lucy Heartfilia.

Gray's hand went slack in Loke's grip and Loke smiled broadly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

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"Hey guys," Lucy said defeated joining them at their table. She sat next to Loke, across from Gray.

"What's wrong?" Gray asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Lucy pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and held it out towards him.

Gray took the paper, straightened it out on the table, and read over the childish script. He and Loke read it, the latter from his upside down vantage point. Gray snorted in disgust. "Idiot," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Loke put his arm around Lucy companionably, ignoring the glare Gray directed towards him. Lucy shrugged him off and leaned her elbows on the table, staring at Gray. "I want you and Erza to help me track him down and bring him home."

Gray disagreed. Natsu might need to train in seclusion. Lucy wasn't the only one to suffer a great shocking trauma during their last battle. "I don't think that's a good idea, Lucy," he cautioned.

Before he could explain his reasons, Master Makarov called for everyone's attention. He stood on the bar's counter, four elderly women surrounded him, all yelling at him regarding all the trouble Fairy Tail brought to the city - it was in financial ruins and insurance companies didn't cover disaster related to magical terrorism. They fell silent at his magically enhanced voice. "My beloved children of Fairy Tail," Makarov said. "We have been through so much, especially over the last few months."

The entire guild hall was perfectly silent, everyone listened with baited breath at the serious tone of their leader.

Lucy's hands curled into fists on top of the table. Without thinking, Gray reached for her hand and held his hand cupped over it. He had a bad feeling about Makarov's announcement.

"It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that I will be disbanding Fairy Tail," Makarov continued.

Several shouts of disbelief rose among the guild members.

Lucy sucked in a shuddering breath and Gray squeezed her hand.

"You can't!"

"Why would you do this?"

"Look around!" Master Makarov shouted. "The entire village is in disrepair, our guild hall is crumbling around us. In the past we have rebuilt, but not this time. The Magic Council has been practically destroyed. Magic was almost lost." He stared out at the guild members, his expression stony.

"As of today, Fairy Tail is no more," Makarov stated. He hopped off the bar and started for the kitchens, leaving the guild hall full of disbelieving, shocked mages.

"What does this mean?" Lucy asked. She turned from Gray to Loke.

"I don't know," Gray said. He clenched his jaw. Maybe if Natsu had been here he'd have convinced Makarov not to disband the guild. Without the legitimacy of a guild, none of the mages could legally perform magic as a source of income.

Lucy pulled her hand out from Gray's grip and stood from the table. "I need to think. I can't handle this," she said.

Gray stood to go after her, but Loke stopped him with with a hard stare. "Leave her be," Loke warned.

"But,—" Gray started to argue.

"Find Erza, figure out what's going on here. I'll talk with Lucy," Loke said.

Gray glared at him suspiciously. "Talk to her about what?"

"My Celestial Spirit Mage and my contracted service to her are none of your business, Gray Fullbuster," Loke said. "Look, this isn't about the bet, so don't freeze a blood vessel worrying about it."

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* * *

 **OoO**

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Lucy rushed to her apartment. She wasn't thinking clearly, but she knew that she had to get out of the guild hall. Master Makarov's words kept echoing in her mind. Fairy Tail disbanded? How could that be? They'd saved both the world and magic from Tartorus. Was Aquarius' sacrifice for nothing? Her parents were both dead, her best friend had skipped town, and now her guild was disbanded. What was she to do?

She started to insert her key into her door, but it fell off its hinges and crashed to the floor. She stepped carefully over the debris scattered all over her apartment. She plucked a magical duffle bag out of her closet, it was a dimensionally enhanced bag that could contain an entire household's things. Maybe she'd just go find Natsu herself. What chance did she have of finding him on her own? Gray made it clear that he wouldn't help her. Maybe she'd just get on a train and head east without any real destination in mind.

She started shoving various articles of clothing inside the bag. She picked her way towards her desk, which was remarkably intact in spite of the damage from the rains, fires, and earthquakes that had hit the city.

She opened the drawer and pulled out the novel she'd been working on so diligently between missions. She also found an address book with some of the business contacts she'd made over the years, including Jason from Sorcerer Magazine, the weekly periodical. Maybe she could apply for a job with them?

"Two years in Fairy Tail and all you've got is that duffle bag?"

Lucy jumped in surprise at the voice, dropping the duffle bag to the ground with a heavy thud.

Loke stepped gingerly over the fallen front door, reached her side, and picked up the duffle bag. He slung it over his shoulder and glanced down at her from over the rim of his glasses. "What's your plan now? I hear this building is condemned."

"Half the city is condemned," Lucy sighed. She stared around her apartment with a heavy heart. She felt like an orphan all over again, this time losing her Fairy Tail family.

"Where do you plan to go?" Loke asked. He shoved aside a few random bricks that had fallen on her bed and sat on the edge of it. "If you're thinking of tracking down Natsu, don't. Gray was right about that."

Lucy bit down on her lip, processing various possibilities of escape until she found a reasonable one. "I thought maybe I'd apply for a job at Sorcerer's Magazine. Jason has always had a soft spot for Fairy Tail," Lucy said. "I have enough in savings for a train ticket and a few weeks at a hotel." She looked down and met his steady gaze with a wavering smile. "Maybe I'll pick up a few jobs and some more jewels that way."

"You won't be able to work any jobs," Loke said. "Only members of officially recognized guilds are employable."

"Oh," Lucy huffed, shoulders slouching in disappointment. She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration as she stared off into the distance, the sounds of harried people in the rubble strewn streets drifted up to her ears. She wasn't the only one having to re-evaluate her life in the wake of Face.

Loke took Lucy's hand and pulled it away from her hair. He gripped her hand tightly, tugged her towards the bed, and landed her in his lap. "Come with me to the Spirit World," he suggested somberly.

Lucy blinked at him in confusion. "The Spirit World?" She tried to get off his lap, but he kept her firmly in place. "I should talk to Gray, Wendy, Levy, and Erza. We can figure out what to do together."

"Fairy Tail isn't your only family, Lucy." Loke rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "Your Celestial Spirits are not only your allies and friends, but also your family. Come and spend some time with me and I'll do my best to train you in mastering the abilities you inherited from Aquarius. And maybe a few other skills. I think you're ready to progress to the next level as a Spirit Mage. It's been a long time since the Spirit King found a Mage he deemed worthy."

"For how long?" She stared down at his thumb caressing her hand with a look of confusion.

Loke shrugged. "As long as you want. As long as it takes for you to figure out where you want to go to next. I don't think Fairy Tail is permanently disbanded, but Master Makarov wants us to use this time to train and grow stronger." He tugged on her hand, raised it to his lips, and brushed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Best part? It's rent free."

"Exactly where will I live?" She met his dark eyes.

"With me," Loke suggested with a debonair lift of his fiery eyebrows.

Lucy arched one of her golden eyebrows at him. "Won't that cramp your style? What about all your dates?"

Loke smirked. "I can always stay at their places."

Lucy shoved him roughly in the chest and extracted herself from his embrace. She stood in front of him with one of her hands braced on her cocked hip. "Or I can stay with Virgo or Aries."

"Virgo might try to encourage you to partake in her S&M and Aries snores," Loke said, his smirk growing into a full on smile.

"And how do you know about Aries snoring?" Lucy prodded the side of his shoe with the toe of her boot.

"We've known each other for a long time," Loke said. He stood in one fluid motion and readjusted the duffle bag over his shoulder. "Shall we be off?"

"Now? I'm not even sure this is a good idea," Lucy worried. There were too many things happening at once. She just needed a little while to clear her head and re-evaluate.

"We were also hoping you'd be able to come for the memorial for Aquarius," Loke added.

"Memorial?" Lucy asked.

"Of course," Loke said. "She was precious to us all. It would mean a lot if you were there. Scorpio is especially distraught." He took off his glasses and looked at Lucy directly with a serious air about him. "Now seems like a good time. The rest of your teammates plan to skip town, why should you linger?"

"They already decided to leave?" Lucy asked, upset that her friends would leave her behind.

"I've been in this guild a long time," Loke said. "Most of the mages will find a way to train and improve their skills. Some might join other guilds and others might join the law enforcement, but I can tell you that they won't stick around Magnolia." He slung his arm around Lucy's shoulders and hugged her close. "Time to go home," he murmured. "You'll have time to sort out your future for yourself."

Reality shifted around them, countless stars filled their periphery, and the sensation of centripetal force pulling at them every which way was intense.

Then they were stationary, standing inside a rustic lodge with solid furniture of dark wood and green upholstery. A roaring fire blazed in the fireplace in the corner keeping the room warm and toasty. There was one giant king sized bed in the corner, a large wardrobe closet, a small kitchenette, a large desk with a roller top and shelves on either side of it full of books, and a futon in front of the fireplace.

"Welcome to my home, our home for the time being," Loke said with a magnanimous wave of his hand gesturing to the space.

Lucy sat heavily on the futon and stared at the fireplace and the dancing flames within. "When's the memorial?"

"We can do it tonight," Loke assured her. "We were waiting until you could join us before we held it." He held his hand out to her and Lucy grabbed it, letting him help her stand. "The Spirit King will be especially pleased to see you again."

Lucy swallowed nervously. The Spirit King was an incredibly imposing individual. "What's the difference in time here from Earthland?"

Loke shrugged. "It runs differently, but I'll keep an eye on it to make sure too much time doesn't pass."

"Okay, let me change clothes first," Lucy said.

Loke grinned. "Well, if you insist, but I imagine Virgo would be upset if you didn't let her help with your wardrobe."

Lucy giggled, surprising herself. She realized she was looking forward to spending some time with her other friends outside of the newly disbanded Fairy Tail guild. A change of environment, yet a place still somewhere familiar, might be exactly what she needed.

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* * *

 **OoO**

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"I don't know where she went," Gray growled in frustration.

"It just doesn't make sense," Wendy said. "Even Levy doesn't know."

"I know, I asked her too," Gray said. He strongly suspected that Loke took her somewhere. He was the last person to see Lucy. "I'm thinking she went off with Loke. He was the one to see her from what I can gather. What are you planning to do?"

"I might join another guild. I need a guild. Carla says that I'm too young on my own," Wendy said.

"Levy said she and Gajeel will be joining law enforcement." She stared up at him. "What about you?"

Gray ran his fingers through his dark hair. "I have a lot of new, strange powers. It's important that I train. And I need to train alone so I don't risk hurting any others."

Wendy looked past him to where Juvia lingered nearby, a pack slung over her shoulders. "Good luck doing anything alone with that one following you."

Gray sighed. "Yeah, I know." He reached out and ruffled Wendy's long, blue hair. "You stay out of trouble, kid. You should try Lamia Scale first. Lyon will look out for you and you seem to get along well with Sherry. If you see Lucy, let her know I headed north, okay?"

Wendy nodded. "I'll try Lamia Scale first," she agreed. "And of course, I'll let Lucy know."

"I might as well escort you to Lamia Scale. I should probably talk to Lyon anyway. I might need him to help me with training," Gray admitted.

"Lord Gray!" Juvia called out. She walked towards them, her hands clasped in front of her chest. "Might I come with you to Lamia Scale?"

"Uh, sure," Gray agreed.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Wendy whispered with a giggle.

"Thanks, I might need it," Gray whispered back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

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The sky was bright blue with swirls of white clouds overhead. The grass, bushes, and trees outside of Loke's home were extremely lush and healthy. His cabin was tucked against the side of a mountain. It made sense. Loke was the Zodiac's lion and there were certain types of lions that lived in mountains — apparently, he was one of them.

"Your cabin is pretty secluded," Lucy commented.

"With friends like Taurus, it's important to have some place peaceful to recharge," Loke explained. He stared down at her boots with the high heels. "Maybe you should change your shoes. It's a little precarious walking down the mountain side."

Lucy huffed. "I'll have you know I can run five kilometers in these boots."

"I'm sure you have," Loke agreed. Before she could protest, he scooped Lucy up into his arms with one arm cradled behind her back and the other hooked under her knees. "I imagine that was on flat terrain. However, there is the very real chance that you'll break your ankle trying to navigate around the various rabbit holes."

"Fine." Lucy folded her arms over her chest and stared down towards the base of the mountain. It was quite the hike and if Loke wanted to carry her the distance, it made it hard to argue.

"You could make this easier on me, you know?" Loke asked. Lucy craned her neck to look back at him with her eyebrows raised in question. "Could you at least put your arms around my neck? It will make it easier to balance you."

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying I'm heavy?" In her mind, she could hear Happy's high-pitched voice complaining about her weight.

Loke laughed. "Hardly. Though, you are top-heavy." He squeezed her ample bosom against his chest. "If you don't want us both to fall, I suggest you help me out here."

With a sigh, Lucy wrapped her arms around Loke's neck, and pressed her face against his throat. She could smell the scent of grass, smoke from the cabin, and something like cinnamon from her Lion Spirit. It was a nice smell — comforting, yet exciting.

Loke navigated the path down the mountain with both ease and agility while holding Lucy firmly against him. He paused abruptly.

"Princess!"

Lucy lifted her face and smiled at Virgo. Loke released Lucy from his hold, allowing her feet to settle gently on the grass covered hill. Slowly he slid his arm out from behind her waist and stepped back.

"It's very good to see you, Virgo," Lucy greeted.

"I dared not hope that you would truly be here, Princess," Virgo said, bowing deeply. The chains adorning her wrists chimed together. The gaze from her jade eyes penetrated past her pink bangs. "It would please me, if you would use your whip to discipline me for my disbelief, Princess."

Lucy's cheeks warmed in embarrassment and she dared not look at Loke as he chuckled at Virgo's masochistic ways. "T-t-that's not necessary," Lucy stuttered, rubbing her arm anxiously. "However, perhaps you could transform my clothes into something more suitable for Aquarius' memorial?"

"Memorial?" Virgo stood straight, chained wrists at her side, and stared past Lucy towards Loke in askance. "For Aquarius?"

"Yes, the one we were waiting to hold until after Lucy arrived," Loke quickly explained. "You remember."

Virgo's forehead creased in thought and she turned her attention back towards Lucy. "What kind of dress do you think would be appropriate?" She waved her hand towards the mage and a wave of creational magic engulfed her. Her outfit transformed into an elegant slate gray cocktail dress with aqua-blue accents and gray moccasin shoes. Topaz of an aqua-blue hue glittered as an elegant necklace and bracelet. "The bracelet was Aquarius'," Virgo said quietly. "She would have wanted you to have it."

A swell of emotion grew in Lucy's throat and she nodded her gratitude, unable to speak. Virgo's lips curled into a pleased smile and she bent at the waist for another smile.

Loke's warm hand cupped Lucy's elbow and he gently pulled her alongside him. "Perhaps we should go to the lagoon. It's where Aquarius called her home."

"I'll gather the others," Virgo offered.

"Thank you," Lucy murmured.

The two Fairy Tail members walked together towards the lagoon. It was as if the mountain forest landscape ended abruptly at some invisible line and the smooth sandy beach of the lagoon started. There was a waterfall at one end of the lagoon and the sound of songs blended with the running water into a beautiful harmony.

Scorpio sat in the sand with a slouched, defeated posture, his tail was limp beside him. He stared absently at a large blue gelatin-like egg. His red and white hair was slicked back as usual, but his overall appearance showed weariness rather than his usual confidence.

"Oh Leo!" A playful feminine voice called. Leo stiffened.

Lucy glanced over towards the waterfall where the voice originated. Several voluptuous mermaids stared back towards her, but it wasn't one of the mermaids that called out. A trio of naked water spirits were giggling together. Their long, dark purple hair barely covered some of their assets and left nothing to the imagination. Lucy's throat went dry as the middle naiad waved at Loke, her breasts swaying with the motion.

"Come play with us, Leo! We've missed you!" The naiad on the left called out.

"Doesn't the kitty want to get wet with us?" The one on the right added with a wink. "We've been so lonely without you."

The mermaids ducked under the water and disappeared from sight.

"If you want to go ahead and socialize with your fan girls, go ahead," Lucy whispered. "I wouldn't want to cramp your style." Before Loke could respond, Lucy strode away from him and sat next to Scorpio.

He glanced over at her briefly before turning his attention back to the egg. "We are welcoming you to our sand, Lucy," he said quietly.

"Oh Scorpio, I'm so sorry," Lucy whispered, her heart aching all over again. She laid her hand gently on his bare shoulder only to fill his muscles stiffen at the contact. She quickly retracted her hand at the unexpected reaction.

"I don't know why you're apologizing," Scorpio said stiffly. "And it's best you not touch me, even casually. Aquarius has quite the temper when she thinks her property is being poached." He looked back at Lucy and smirked. "Even if it's just a small measure of affection between friends."

"She sacrificed herself so nobly. She was my oldest friend," Lucy said quietly. "I feel her loss keenly too."

Scorpio frowned. "You don't think she's dead, do you, Lucy?"

Lucy chewed her bottom lip and stared between Scorpio and the egg. "I broke her key."

"And she cannot be summoned to the human world until a new key is forged," Scorpio explained. He pointed towards the egg. "Aquarius is right there. She should hatch in a few more days."

Relief swelled in Lucy's chest. "She's not dead?"

"No. Of course not. The only way a Celestial Spirit dies is if we stay too long in the human world. Who told you she was dead? She's merely being reborn." He reached for her hand and patted it awkwardly, keeping one eye on the blue egg. "She won't be the same," he admitted. "It's unlikely she'll remember her previous incarnation, but she'll still be Aquarius. We just have to introduce ourselves to her again. In a few months, she'll be of the same maturity level that we know so well."

"Is that why you're waiting beside her egg?" Lucy asked. She thought about her conversation with Loke and realized he knew that Aquarius wasn't dead. Why would he lie to her? Why would he say they were planning a memorial for her? It didn't matter. She'd host a memorial anyway.

Scorpio nodded. "I want to be the first person she sees." His lower lip trembled. "I plan to woo her and regain her affections." He stretched his long, tan legs out in front of him, crossing his ankles and relaxed, his tail stiff and proud. It seemed like he regained his old confidence.

"Where did the mermaids go? The ones I saw swimming by the waterfall earlier?" Lucy asked.

"They are trying to trick me," Scorpio explained.

"Trick you? What do you mean?"

"There is only one who shall have the powers of the Water Bearer. It has always been Aquarius, but her sisters are jealous." His hands clenched into fists at his sides. "If they can distract me, make me turn my back on my duty of protecting Aquarius' birth, perhaps one of them will inherit her powers."

"That's terrible!" Lucy said in shock. She stared back at the lagoon hoping to see a sign of the mermaids. "To think her sisters might be willing to do something like that."

"It's not so strange," Scorpio said with a shrug. He glanced at her briefly, before turning his attention back to the egg and the surrounding water. "What are you doing here in the Spirit World? Is there more trouble on Earthland? I didn't feel you try to summon me."

"I wouldn't summon you at a time like this. I assumed you would be grieving. And to answer your question, I'm training," Lucy explained. "My guild was disbanded and Loke thought it would be good to come here and strengthen my abilities. He offered to train me. The rest of my guild-mates are doing the same back on Earthland."

Scorpio snorted. "Good luck learning anything from that drifter. He'll be too busy sleeping around to do you much good." He pointed towards the waterfall where Loke was surrounded by the trio of elemental water beauties.

Lucy drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight. "Maybe it was a mistake to come here." She should have stayed back on earthland and looked for Natsu. Or joined with Gray or Wendy to wherever they were going.

"Try not to let it bother you, Lucy. It is what it is," Scorpio said. "Leo is a Lion. In a pride, there is one lion and usually a dozen lionesses. It's in his nature to be a womanizer. Do not let it affect you so."

"That doesn't make sense to me," Lucy complained. She blew out a frustrated breath. "I just don't belong here."

"That's not true," Taurus said. He lumbered towards her and Scorpio with an eager grin and his nostrils flaring. "We are hooonored to have you Luuucy." He reached down and scooped Lucy up against him in a big hug. He set her back on her feet carefully and looked down at Scorpio. "Is she hatching anytime soon?"

"Within the next couple of days," Scorpio said.

"Virgo said you were here, preparing a memorial for Aquarius," Taurus said.

"You are?" Scorpio said.

Lucy nodded. "I didn't realize she would be reborn, but given what you have told me, I'd like to share stories of how she touched our lives. Maybe she can hear us in her egg."

"And maybe she'll remember," Scorpio said with a soft smile. He nodded. "I would like to help with this memorial." He reached out and gently brushed his fingertips across the surface of the gelatin egg. "You hear that, my love? We will have a party where we talk about how amazing you are."

"You need to come with me, Luuucy," Taurus said, his playful expression replaced with a rare seriousness. "The Spirit King wishes to have an audience with you. He asked me to escort you."

Lucy looked over towards Loke again. He was laughing and flirting with the naiads. As if he felt her watching him, his dark eyes met her gaze. "All right," Lucy agreed, turning away from her wayward Lion. She smiled down at Scorpio. "Let's plan for the memorial to take place tomorrow evening then."

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* * *

 **OoO**

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Loke managed to extract himself from the tempting naiads. He went on one date with the trio a year ago and ever since, they were determined to convince him to agree to a second date. He waded to shore and approached Scorpio. "Where are Lucy and Taurus going?"

"The Spirit King asked to speak with her," Scorpio answered, his gaze never wavered from the egg he held sentinel over. "You let Lucy think Aquarius was dead?"

"No memories of her past life. She's not reborn yet. That equals dead in my book." Loke stared down at the blue egg. There seemed to be a turbulent movement of the liquid inside. "She's human. Things are different there."

"And since you've spent more time on Earthland with their kind, you would know better than the rest of us." Scorpio looked up at him, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Is that it?"

"As a matter of fact — yes." Loke sat next to Scorpio. "I was on the human world for a long time and I almost died. Lucy is the only reason that I'm not dead."

"Then maybe you owe it to her not to lie to her," Scorpio pointed out. "Why did you bring her here? What is your true motive?"

"I care about Lucy. I care about her more than I care about anyone else," Loke said. He ran his fingers through the sand absently. "I couldn't leave here back in Fiore with the guild disbanded. Natsu already abandoned her and her parents are dead. We're all she's got." He felt slightly guilty knowing his words weren't completely true. Lucy still had Gray, Erza, Wendy, Levy, Gajeel, and Cana. She had friends outside of the guild too.

"You think she will be capable of the Star Dress?" Scorpio asked quietly. He glanced over at Loke. "I've never seen a human weld such powers."

"Been a long time since a human had so many zodiacs under her influence either. I think she can do it." Loke took a deep breath and stared at Aquarius' egg. "And I think the Spirit King believes so too."

.

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* * *

 **OoO**

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The road between Magnolia and Margaret Town had been a tense adventure. Gray had never been the most patient of people. The last few days in the company of an adolescent with her arrogant Exceed and the woman that made no secret of her desire for him had eliminated the last vestiges of his tolerance. He needed to start his own training to master his new demon slayer magic, but he wouldn't endanger others.

"It looks like a castle!" Wendy craned her head back to peer up at the massive white structure of Lamia Scale's guild hall. Carla hummed her agreement.

Gray was a loyal mage of Fairy Tail, but even he had to admit their guild hall had never looked quite as impressive.

"It's decent," Juvia said. "Phantom Lord looked more like a castle than this place. Though, both pale in comparison to Fairy Tail's guild hall. It held a certain charm that both these places lack." She turned towards Gray and fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Which is currently rubble," Gray said, forcing himself not to laugh at the water mage's flirtations. The closer they came to Lamia Scale the more blatant Juvia's attempts at attracting his attention became. He walked past his traveling companions, but before he could knock on the front door of the guild hall the wooden doors opened and Lyon Vastia stepped outside.

"I've been expecting you," Lyon said. He leaned casually against the outer wall. "News travels fast and bad news seems to travel at lightning speed. Master Ooba informed us of the dissolution of Fairy Tail."

Sherria Blendy, Sherry's younger cousin, followed him and her eyes grew wide upon seeing Wendy. "Wendy!" she squealed. She rushed past Lyon and threw her arms around the girl's neck and hugged her. "I'm so glad you're here! Sky Sisters reunite!"

"If you're looking for a guild to join, there's a place here for you," Lyon said. His gaze shifted towards Juvia and he smiled broadly. "Any member of Fairy Tail is welcome to Lamia Scale."

"That is very generous," Gray said with a relieved smile. "I was hoping you'd have a place for these ladies." He gestured towards Wendy and Juvia.

Juvia reached for Gray's arm and clasped him tightly. "I'm going wherever you go," she said stubbornly.

Gray gently pried her fingers off him. "No, Juvia." He caught sight of Lyon's guarded expression. Seven years had granted his old friend extra maturity at hiding his displeasure, but Gray knew Lyon well enough to sense it. "I can only entrust Lyon to keep you safe while I am away. You understand?"

Juvia's jaw dropped, but she quickly snapped it shut and smiled sweetly at Gray. "Lord Gray, you wish to ensure my safety?" She rolled back her shoulders. "I am capable of taking care of myself. I do not wish to part from you."

"I cannot protect you from myself," Gray answered. He stripped off his shirt, consciously this time. Lyon and Sherria gasped at the sight of the tattoos covering the right side of his torso and arm. "Please Juvia. Stay here with Lyon and Wendy."

Juvia's eyes stared at Gray's chest and a light blush covered her pale cheeks. "What about Lucy?" she demanded. "Why didn't you escort her here too? I know the two of you have something going on."

Gray resisted the urge to strip his pants at the accusation. If Lucy hadn't vanished would he have taken her to Lamia Scale too? Or would he have kept her by his side? He forcefully put his shirt back on. "If I knew where Lucy was, I'd have brought her here too."

"You don't know where the blond bombshell went?" Yuka Suzuki asked, stepping out of the guild hall. "With that loud mouth, I'd think it would be hard to misplace her."

"I didn't misplace her," Gray argued.

"Then why did you take your shirt off? It's obviously a sign of your guilt. Lyon does that too when he's nervous about something," Yuka said.

With a groan of frustration, Gray put his shirt back on.

"Why don't you stay the night at least," Lyon suggested. "Have dinner with us and then you can leave in the morning for your training."

Gray was about to protest, but Wendy laid her hand on his shoulder. "Please, Gray, rest for one night."

"Fine," Gray agreed. "But, I leave in the morning. No arguments."

Lyon held his hands up palms outstretched. "No arguments from me."

"Can you tell us how you defeated the Tartaros Guild?" Sherria asked. "I bet you played a pivotal role, Wendy."

Wendy cleared her throat nervously. "It was rather scary."

Gray laid his hand over Wendy's and squeezed it reassuringly. "It's not really a battle we're ready to relive just yet."

"I killed Lord Gray's father," Juvia added.

"You what?" Lyon asked. He shook his head. "Now you have no choice. You must tell us what happened."

.

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 _A/N: I have been spelling the guild Tartaros, due to most translations I've found spell it that way, though the Greek Tartarus I believe is the origin of the word. I'm going with the Fairy Tail wiki's version whenever there are inconsistencies as my source for cannon. Another big thanks for ShiroKuro OokamiRyu who took time off their Fourth of July to beta this chapter! You are truly a wonder!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

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A visit with the Spirit King was always both intimidating and scary. The last time Lucy had seen him was when he walked Earthland in a great battle, cut down Cube from the sky, and faced Mard Geer, the Underworld King.

"Lucy Heartfilia," the Spirit King greeted, his voice a deep rumble that shook the very ground. "Have a seat." He waved his hand towards her and a magnificent chair of silver appeared encrusted with pearls. "Leo has a tendency to ask forgiveness, rather than for permission."

Lucy dipped her head humbly. "You have my apologies, I didn't mean to enter without permission."

"It is fine," the king said. "How long do you intend to stay?"

"I was hoping to train in how to use the Star Dress," Lucy explained. "Loke believes I am a candidate."

"You are," the king said. "You have been ever since I allowed you to retain Aquarius' powers. By possessing her Star Dress you can access her abilities even if she isn't summoned. You have a special bond with Aquarius. It is possible that you can create such bonds with the other spirits, particularly Leo, Virgo, and Taurus. Though, I suspect Gemini will want to train with you as well. They are rather fond of you." The king leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he peered down at Lucy with his deep pitch-black eyes. "You cannot stay here for long It is only your spirit clothes that have allowed you to stay here thus far, as well as my tolerance."

"How much time has passed on Earthland while I've been here?" Lucy asked cautiously. She remembered staying for a celebration with her teammates while three months had passed before.

A slow smile spread across the king's lips. "Only one month," he assured her. "I would recommend you have Aquarius' memorial today though and return afterwards. You do not need to be in the Spirit World to create bonds for the Star Dress."

"Is there a way to manipulate the time in the Spirit World?" Lucy asked. "A section where a pocket of time can be kept stationary so that not too much time on Earthland has passed?"

The king leaned back and gripped the arms of his throne as he frowned thoughtfully, his long white mustache twitching in the process. "I am of course capable of such a thing."

"Could I stay longer?" Lucy asked.

"It is not a good idea," the king answered. "Enjoy the memorial for Aquarius. I will give extended leave to Leo, Virgo, and Taurus for training with you on Earthland." He smiled, his mustache twitching. "And probably Gemini. As I mentioned, the twins can be rather stubborn."

"Will you join us for the memorial?" Lucy asked.

The Spirit King laughed. "I appreciate the invitation, but I must decline. You may return to your friends."

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* * *

 **OoO**

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Loke paced anxiously outside the Spirit King's throne room while he waited for Lucy to finish speaking with him. He shouldn't have flirted with the naiads. He didn't really care about the bet with Gray, he just wanted an excuse to keep Gray away from her now that Natsu had left. Without the dragon slayer, Lucy was fair game. Gray couldn't have known that with Loke's spiritual connection with Lucy that he knew exactly when she would walk through that door.

"Loke," Lucy said in surprise as she left the Spirit King's throne room. "Where is Taurus?"

"He's with Aries and Virgo arranging for the memorial," Loke explained. He started walking and Lucy fell into step beside him. "It will be a picnic at the shore."

"You knew Aquarius wasn't dead," Lucy said quietly.

"I didn't quite know how to explain it," Loke admitted. "It will be years on Earthland before she can be summoned again. Her key must be re-forged. What did the Spirit King say?"

"You're right in that I'm capable of the Star Dress. I already have Aquarius' powers and I'd like to train with you." Lucy looked over at him, her chocolate brown eyes searching. "However, while I appreciate your hospitality, I cannot stay in the Spirit World."

"I was afraid of that," Loke sighed. In spite of her many friendships with the spirits, Lucy was still human. "I will return to Earthland with you. We'll continue your training there."

Lucy smiled sadly. "I can't ask that of you. I wouldn't want to have all your girlfriends bereft of you for so long."

"Must you assume the worst of me?" Loke lamented.

Lucy hooked her elbow through Loke's. "Hardly. You are my dear friend, Loke. I love you even with your playboy tendencies."

Loke's throat went dry at Lucy's casual proclamation of love for him. No one had ever claimed to love him before. "Our relationship means a great deal to me," Loke said. He moved in front of Lucy and swung her up into his arms. "We only have a short time left to train here before you have to go home. Let's make the most of it."

"But, the memorial," Lucy protested.

"Aries and Virgo have it well in hand," Loke assured her.

"I am capable of walking," Lucy said, struggling in Loke's arms.

"Time is of the essence," Loke argued. He started running back towards his mountain home where they wouldn't be interrupted, on reflex Lucy's arms wound around his neck. "I have an idea about how to do the Leo Star Dress."

Lucy laughed lightheartedly as Loke practically flew over the terrain. "I can see why all the girls fawn over you," she said once they stopped and Loke set her down on her feet.

Loke smiled absently. He extended his hand out towards Lucy. "Take my hand."

"Is this supposed to help us connect better?" Lucy asked. She held his hand and a surge of electricity seemed to pass between them. "Leo Star Dress!"

The gray and blue dress Virgo created transformed into a frilly black gown, with a slit going up her left thigh, black high heels, and a sash around her waist.

"Nice," Loke said with a grin. He reached out and touched the black collar on her throat. "Very nice." He stepped back. "Now, let's see what you've got. Most of my moves are martial arts but with a very powerful punch. I want you to close your hand into a fist and punch me."

"I'm not going to punch you!"

Loke curled her hand into a fist and pushed her elbow back. "Now I want you to extend it and aim for my palm." He stepped back and held his palm open towards her. "You're going to pivot on your foot, use your hip to put force behind the attack." When Lucy merely stared back at him he asked, "Please?"

"Very well." Lucy took a deep breath and mimicked the stance Loke indicated. She cocked back her elbow and aimed for his palm. The same Regulus force that Loke used was reflected in the attack.

Loke was pushed back several meters. He grinned. "Very promising." He strode back towards her. "Now, how about you try a kick?"

For the next few hours, Loke and Lucy trained extensively. Her strength continued to increase as did their bond. Lucy was breathing heavily with her hands on her knees, bent at the waist.

"I think that's enough for today," Loke said.

Lucy laughed and ran towards him, throwing her arms around his neck for a hug. "This was amazing!"

Loke wound his arms around her waist and swung her around. It felt so natural to touch Lucy. "It won't be this easy on Earthland, which is why I wanted to train you here."

"The Spirit King explained how much time I lose for every day here," Lucy said. "I can't afford to lose months at a time." Her arms went slack around his neck. "I lost seven years because of Tenrou Island. The world went on without me and my father died while I was gone." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I don't think I could stand to lose anyone else right now."

Loke ran his hand over the bow in her hair, unwinding it, and then ran his fingers through her golden strands. "I'm sorry for the loss of your father," he said. "You're right though, we'll go back to Earthland after the memorial."

"Thank you," Lucy breathed. She stepped back from him and wobbled on shaky legs before Loke caught her around the waist. "I feel a little woozy."

"Why don't you take a nap. I'll come get you for the memorial," Loke said.

"I don't want to waste time sleeping," Lucy complained. "I only have a few more hours here."

"A couple hours of sleep here will refresh you after you just crammed in weeks of training," Loke argued. "Trust me. And while you're sleeping, I'll hop back over to Earthland and check on the guild hall. Okay?"

"You would do that?" Lucy asked.

"Yes of course," Loke said. He scooped her into his arms again and started up the mountain. "I know, I know. You are perfectly capable of climbing the mountain, but this will save time."

"Fine," Lucy agreed. "Can you find the others? Maybe Natsu? Or Wendy? Gray?"

Loke grit his teeth. "I have a bond with Gray. We've been partners for a long time, so I should be able to track him down. Unfortunately, the only member of Fairy Tail I can find no matter where they are at — is you."

Lucy laughed. "You're my very own compass."

"I guess that makes you my north star," Loke said. He reached his cabin and dropped Lucy on his bed.

"What are you doing?" Lucy sat up and tried to slide of the bed, but Loke trapped her between his arms. "I'm fine with the futon."

"You'll sleep here," Loke argued. He gently pushed Lucy's shoulders before pulling the covers over her. He was a lion and as such he was territorial. If he wasn't going to be in the Spirit World to watch over Lucy, then he'd make sure she was at least safe in his home. "I'll be back in a couple of hours and then we'll go to the memorial."

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* * *

 **OoO**

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The first thing Loke confirmed was that the guild hall was completely abandoned. Six weeks had passed on Earthland while he'd been in the Spirit World and yet no progress whatsoever had been made on the guild hall. However, the city of Magnolia was in the process of being rebuilt. Several of the less powerful mages from Fairy Tail were helping to rebuild their city using manual labor and not their magic.

Loke wasn't surprised by what he saw. He'd been present when Master Makarov disbanded the guild.

He spotted a couple of his ex-girlfriends around the city and hurriedly made his escape before they might delay him. Aside from Lucy, there was only one other member in Fairy Tail that he had a strong enough bond to find anywhere on the physical plane.

With a strong sense of trepidation, Loke set off to meet with Gray.

He found the Ice Mage living in a small cabin in a remote wooded area. He was standing outside shirtless while chopping firewood. The right side of his torso, arm, neck, and lower jaw were marred with dark, flame-like markings.

"Loke," Gray growled. He jammed the head of his axe into the firewood block. "Ice Make: Cannon." A very vicious cannon appeared in his hands, balanced over one shoulder. "I think I'll just kill you."

"While that's a very impressive cannon, calm yourself, Fullbuster," Loke cajoled. "I come in peace. Lucy wanted to make sure you and the others are fine."

"You abducted her!" Gray shouted, his dark eyes flashed angrily. "You took her without letting her say goodbye to her friends! It's been a month and a half!" He focused his cannon and shot out a vicious round towards the Lion Zodiac.

Loke was only just able to dodge the attack using his Regulus speed. "She's not gone forever, just a little while for training."

Gray narrowed his eyes and prepared to shoot again. "If this is about that damned bet, it's off. I don't agree. You can't involve Lucy in such a callous thing. She's our friend!"

"Surely, you don't think I took that bet seriously," Loke snorted. "I wouldn't jeopardize our friendship or my friendship with Lucy over such a matter."

The ice cannon dissolved into snowflakes and Gray folded his arms over his chest. "How did you find me?"

"We have a connection. A strong bond," Loke explained.

Gray nodded. "I see." He picked up the axe and started to chop wood again. He attacked the wood with a vicious fury. "You knew that Lucy was going to walk through the door," he accused through gritted teeth. "Didn't you?"

"I did," Loke admitted. "I was just messing with you though, you know I wouldn't try anything on Lucy. She's too important to me." Gray hesitated before attacking another piece of wood. "And I know how you feel about her."

Gray cracked the log down the center and then nodded. "Good. You'll keep your hands to yourself." He set aside the axe and started to gather the wood. "How is she?"

Loke crossed the distance between them and gathered an armload of firewood. He followed Gray inside the cabin where a neat pile had been collected. "I wouldn't have thought you'd need this much firewood given your affinity for the cold," Loke commented.

Gray grunted. "Demon Slayer magic is intense and can easily corrupt. I need the fire to keep myself in check. It would have been easier to have someone like Natsu around." He dropped his bundle and then glared at Loke. "You didn't answer my question."

"Yeesh, what a one track mind," Loke complained. "Lucy is fine. She needed time with her spirits. She's training and it's faster to gain the skills in the Spirit World. And I thought it was a safer place for the time being. On Earthland she spends so much time worried about everyone else she wouldn't progress like she needs to."

Loke leaned against the wall. "She'll want to know about everyone else though. What do you know?"

"I dropped off Wendy and Juvia with Lamia Scale," Gray said.

"Juvia let you leave without her?" Loke asked in surprise.

"Of course not, but Lyon's keeping her out of my hair. She wanted to share this cabin with me." He gestured towards the small space. "Hard to keep such an environment platonic even with a girl that I can't stand half the time." His eyes shifted towards Loke. "Where is Lucy staying in the Spirit World?"

"Time is different between the two realms, you know that. For her, it's been less than two days, most of which has been spent training." Loke knew better than to answer that question directly. "What about Natsu or Erza?"

"If those two don't want to be found, they won't be found. Not that I've tried to find them either though," Gray explained. He gestured towards the black marks on the right side of his body. "As you can see, I've been keeping myself company so as to avoid any casualties as I master this new magic."

"Are you okay?" Loke asked. He wasn't familiar with the new magic Gray possessed, but it certainly seemed frightening.

Gray shrugged. "I'll manage." He formed an ice pick and started to pick under his nails absently. "So, you're not taking advantage of Lucy?"

"Of course not," Loke retorted.

"Fine. Then, let her know she should concentrate on her training and stop worrying about everyone else," Gray said. He dissolved the ice pick and stared at Loke with a stony expression.

Loke laughed. "As if that would ever happen."

Gray smirked. "That's true, well, don't let her worry too hard. Let her know I'm okay."

"Are you really okay?" Loke asked. He was anxious to return to the Spirit World, but he was worried about leaving Gray behind in his current state. He looked a few steps away from the edge of madness.

"This Demon Slayer magic is intensely challenging, but I've never been one to back away from a challenge."

Loke nodded, understanding the double meaning behind Gray's words. "Take care," he said, before vanishing and returning to his home in the Spirit World.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

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The preparations for the memorial were well underway. It was to take place in the late afternoon, Aquarius's favorite time of day according to Scorpio. Her Zodiac spirits, particularly Virgo, Gemini, and Scorpio, had enthusiastically worked to create an unforgettable occasion to hopefully infuse the mermaid egg with some of Aquarius's positive attributes.

However, Loke had been gone for most of the day, and Lucy worried that something was wrong. He'd been gone for well over six hours, equivalent to nearly a week. It wouldn't bother her too much, except the Spirit King was clear that she needed to return to the mortal world before nightfall.

"Are you worried about the memorial, Princess?" Virgo asked, her hands clasped in front of her waist. "Do you wish to stop training now?"

Lucy smiled at her friend. "No, no, I'm sure it will go wonderfully." She wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand. She and Virgo had been training diligently for the past two hours. Her maid outfit, brought about by the Star Dress technique, was covered in dirt and grime. "I was just thinking about things back home."

"Is the guild hall really destroyed?" Virgo asked.

"More or less," Lucy breathed with a tired sigh. It hadn't been completely obliterated, but it was a very near thing. Most of the tables survived as did the bar and kitchen. It was mostly the walls that had been disintegrated. "And I just left, ran away here when Master Makarov dissolved the guild."

"What about Natsu?"

"He was the first one to leave," Lucy explained. "He didn't even wait for Master Makarov to disband us. He and Happy wrote me a note with crayon saying he was leaving for a year to train."

"Weeeeeell," Virgo drawled. She was suddenly at Lucy's side, her lips brushed against Lucy's ear. "Scorpio and Gemini have everything under control for the memorial. In an hour, it should all be ready. You're our guest of honor, so it won't start until after you arrive. We still have some time to train. That doesn't mean we have to train here."

An hour in the Spirit World would give them nearly twenty hours in the mortal world. A sly smile spread across Lucy's lips. She wrapped her arm around Virgo's shoulders for a hug. "How are you at construction?"

"I've always been great with foundations and basements," Virgo said. "While employed by Former Master Everlue, I was the project manager of all construction of his estate."

"Let's go," Lucy decided. With nothing more than a pop, they vanished from the Spirit World and teleported to Magnolia. Virgo was no longer wearing her familiar maid outfit, but wore a white construction helmet, bright orange safety vest, long sleeve white shirt, blue jeans, and steel-toed boots. Lucy figured out the boots, because she was dressed identically and it was hard to lift her feet with the added weight.

"So this is the guild hall," Virgo said, staring into the piles of rubble.

"It's Elfman," Lucy said, pointing towards the large white-haired man. He had a steel beam balanced over his broad shoulders. She could feel tears begin to sting her eyes. "They're trying to rebuild it."

"Shall we help them, Princess?" Virgo asked. "You can whip me if I start to slow!"

"We'll just do our best to help." Lucy pushed back the front of her helmet so she could meet Virgo's gaze directly. "No whipping!"

"It never hurts to try," Virgo said with a quick smile.

Elfman paused in his steps and his gaze focused on Lucy and her zodiac. "Lucy! What are you doing here? Are you here to help?" He set down the steel beam and crossed the distance to her. "We're rebuilding the guild hall. It took a month and a half, but Erza petitioned the Magic Council, and they finally gave us permission to utilize our magical powers for rebuilding the town, including the guild hall. I don't believe for a second that Fairy Tail will stay disbanded. We've got to fix the damage to the town before Master Makarov returns and says it was all a joke!"

"I don't think it was a joke," Lucy argued. "I don't want to believe it either, but there must have been some reason for his actions."

Elfman frowned. "Well it definitely wasn't funny. So many of the guild members vanished, including you."

"She has been training," Virgo defended primly. "We are here now to help."

"Sorry," Elfman muttered rubbing one of his palms over his forehead. "It's been stressful. Evergreen left with her teammates last week to track down Laxus. He'll find his grandfather and reason with him, maybe be the next master himself." He smiled at them tiredly. "Do what you can. We're happy to have the help."

Virgo surveyed the scene with a critical eye. "I think you should summon Taurus. We could use his brute strength. You can train with both of us in this situation."

"Good idea," Lucy said. She picked out Taurus's key and summoned him. She didn't feel any added strain at the second summoning. It was a testament to her growing strength.

"Luuucy!" Taurus greeted with his brows furrowed in confusion. "What are we doooing here?"

"Clearing up debris and rebuilding," Lucy explained.

Taurus grinned and pointed towards Lucy's construction helmet. "I like it."

Lucy lifted the helmet off her head to see what about it he liked. She laughed at the newly added black cattle spots now dotted about the previously all white helmet. "Let's get to work, shall we?"

There were several guild members helping. The most prominent two were Gajeel and Pantherlily. Pantherlily worked alongside Taurus and Elfman using their strength. Gajeel used his talent with steel manipulation. She wondered where Levy was, but things were too loud and busy to find a moment to ask anyone once the work started.

Lucy and Virgo worked in sync. Lucy had no previous knowledge about construction, but somehow she and Virgo performed in tandem. Was this how the Star Dress worked? Did mastering the Star Dress mean she could channel the strength and skills of her Zodiacs? Her strength was greatly increased. Was that Taurus's power?

By the end of the day, the last of the debris was removed. A fresh foundation had been laid down and steel support beams stood tall. The steel beams had been quickly produced and erected, thanks to Gajeel's help.

As the sun started to set, the present Fairy Tail members gathered for refreshments provided by several citizens of Magnolia. Lucy learned that a good portion of the town had been cleared of debris. Wizards and non-magical residents of Magnolia worked side by side and focused on the homes of the civilians first.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Gajeel said, leaning his hip against the steel refreshment table he constructed. "Levy has been worried sick wondering where you are."

"I've been training," Lucy answered. She stared down at her dust covered boots guiltily as she sipped cool lemonade. "My apartment was destroyed, so I've been living in the Spirit World."

"That's an interesting solution to being homeless," Pantherlily mused. He had shrunk down to his smaller stature now that the labor of the guild hall was concluded for the day.

"I didn't think a human could live there for long," Gajeel said with a frown, the metal piercings of his face twinkling in the fading light of the early evening.

"Normal humans, nooooooo," Taurus agreed.

"I see," Gajeel murmured. "I'll let Levy know you're okay."

"I'd appreciate that," Lucy breathed with relief. "How is she? Is she here?"

Gajeel shrugged. "Good. We found a new, long-term employer. We can continue using our powers. I got permission to return today and help with the cleanup and rebuilding." He nodded his head at Virgo and Taurus. "I'm glad the three of you showed up. We wouldn't have accomplished nearly as much today without your help. What will you do now?"

"We have a few more hours," Lucy said. "We'd like to help some more. Are there parts of the town still severely damaged?"

Gajeel pushed away from the table. "From what I know, Elfman has been working all week to help with the civilian parts of town, but they haven't gotten to everything yet. I know how you can make this up to Levy. Let's go and fix up the library. Pantherlily and I weren't planning to leave until the morning and the library hasn't been tackled yet. Mostly, the focus has been on the homes of the populace."

They started into the streets towards the library. "Wow," she whistled appreciatively. "Big improvement since I left." Many of the homes and buildings in town had been rebuilt while Lucy had been living in the Spirit World.

"Yeah, well, no one has really touched the library, aside from making certain it wasn't in any immediate danger of collapsing," Pantherlily explained. "Most of the books are still underneath all the building's remains. The area is off limits to the public until it's made stable."

"All right," Lucy said, cracking her knuckles in anticipation. She gazed up and down at what used to be her favorite building to visit in the town, outside of the guild hall. "This will take some time."

The Fairy Tail members and the zodiac spirits worked together to clear the debris. Lucy wiped her arm across her sweat-slicked brow. She'd been focused on utilizing both Virgo and Taurus's powers for several hours now. The experience was exceedingly taxing, especially with a portion of that time in the Spirit World.

"Where is Wendy?" Lucy asked Pantherlily as they lifted up a fallen book case together. He had resumed his larger stature.

"Gray escorted her, Carla, and Juvia to Lyon's guild, Lamia Scale," Pantherlily said. He started on the next bookcase and Lucy lifted the other end of it. "They left shortly after you did."

"Wendy needs a guild," Lucy said. Guilt began to once again gnaw at her. She hadn't thought about anyone other than herself when she ran away to the Spirit World. "I should have seen to Wendy's well-being before I left."

"Yeah, well, Gray has never been able to keep Juvia from tagging along after him," Gajeel interjected. "That's the reason we originally joined Fairy Tail. She's obsessed with Fullbuster."

Lucy's lips thinned. She liked Juvia fairly well, but the water mage often referred to Lucy as her rival for Gray's affections. The ice mage was a great deal less stressed out before Juvia entered the picture. He was also usually in a better mood whenever they did a mission that was only Team Natsu with the occasional inclusion of Wendy. "I doubt that Juvia let him drop her off. She is quite determined."

Gajeel chuckled. "And I doubt that Lyon let her go after Gray once she got to Lamia Scale." He walked in a slow circle, inspecting the library and its debris. He shot up a few steel support beams to keep the building's remaining walls stable. He indicated the smoke stained foundation. "We really need to wash this down." The foundation and basement were in remarkably good condition.

"The basement was built to function as a bomb shelter," Lucy explained. "The most valuable materials were stored in water proof, fire proof, and magic proof containers." She was exhausted, but she had enough energy to clean the foundation. She focused her Aquarius water powers on the river flowing through town and swept a wave back and forth to cleanse the smoke stains.

"What will you do with the water?" Virgo asked. "You can't put it back into the river all dirty. Can you?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," Lucy explained. She wasn't an expert about water, hadn't read any books about the cycles of water, but infused with Aquarius's powers she knew these kinds of things. "The journey of the river itself will clean the water of the sediments." She released the water back into the river and then fell to her knees, breathing heavily.

"Luuucy," Taurus cried out in concern. He crouched down beside her and laid his hands over her shoulders to steady her. "Maybe it's time we head back," he suggested.

"In just a few hours, you've helped a lot," Gajeel said. "Levy will be overjoyed to learn that you're safe, but training in the Spirit World. Just don't lose yourself in the time difference," he warned. "Remember how we lost three months of training with just three days of celebrating?"

"Vividly," Lucy said. "If I hadn't been training in the Spirit World with these guys," she said, indicating Taurus and Virgo, "then I wouldn't have been nearly as helpful today."

"I'm not arguing the results," Gajeel said. "I'm just expressing concern. Natsu will return. And you don't want to wait until he's an old, crotchety elder before you come back."

Lucy giggled at the imagery. She could envision a gray-haired, long-bearded Natsu with a walking stick, with an equally elderly Happy balanced precariously on his shoulder. "I'll try to avoid that."

"Let's go, Princess. It's about time for us to return for the memorial," Virgo said.

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* * *

 **OoO**

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"I want to thank you all for coming this afternoon," Scorpio said with a hesitant smile. "It means a lot to me that you think of Aquarius with such fondness." He ran the palm of his hand gently over the iridescent blue mermaid egg. "Lucy, thank you for allowing us to gather and celebrate our treasured memories."

Lucy rose from her position at the head of the table as her eyes scanned over the celestial spirits present. She had contracts with all of them, but none were forced to attend that day. They chose to participate in the memorial. Only Loke was absent, his chair conspicuously empty.

"I thought Aquarius was gone, never to return," Lucy said. "I know she won't be the same. She's being reborn, but I hope that in her new life she knows that we all care deeply for her. She may not remember her old life, but we can make certain she has the opportunity for new, happy memories and friendships."

Lyra began to play her harp. Sweet, gentle music filled their ears.

"Let's eat!" Taurus shouted. "After our bellies are full of food and wine, then we'll take turns roasting Aquarius!"

Lyra's music stuttered to an uncertain stop. She stared at the bull with wide, bewildered eyes.

"You cannot!" Scorpio hissed. His scorpion tail swept violently behind him and he hovered protectively around the mermaid egg. "I will kill you first!"

"I believe he was using the human term of roasting in reference to telling stories of praise and sometimes embarrassment about a beloved friend," Capricorn explained. He turned towards Taurus. "Is this what you meant?"

Taurus nodded. "Calm down, Scorpio," he reassured. "No one here will harm Aquarius." He shivered. "She is not a lady to piss off!"

Sagittarius chuckled nervously.

"Let's eat, then we'll share our memories about our friend, Aquarius," Lucy said,

The tension around the table dissipated and Lyra began to play her harp once more.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

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The deep, seething ferocity of the Demon Slayer magic began to swell within Gray. Loke had been training with Gray at his secluded cabin for the past week. The black marks that marred the Ice Mage's skin began to cover more of his flesh as the dark magic grew in strength. He fell to his knees, cradling his head, trying to force himself to calm down the rage of the new power.

He thought of his old Master Ur, his parents before Deliora's attack, and of the time he first found a home in Fairy Tail. None of these thoughts calmed him. Then he tried focusing on Lucy. His mind centered on the occasion when she lost her towel while protecting the Phoenix Priestess. He could feel the dark magic receding at that happy memory.

"So, I know of this special tea. It can calm even the most rabid of beasts," Loke said, his words breaking into the resolving chaos of Gray's mind.

"Tea?" Gray grunted. He looked down at his bare arms, the black marks of the Demon Slayer magic shrank in size as the anger of his mind ebbed, until all that remained was the new tattoo on his right arm.

"My former girlfriend, Cha, runs a tea shop with her father. They have various herbs to sooth all sorts of ailments," Loke explained. He chuckled nervously. "I believe her name even means tea in some language or another."

"Tea," Gray repeated. "You've abandoned Lucy in the Spirit World for the last week so you can pick me up some tea?"

Loke shifted his weight anxiously and grimaced. "She's not exactly alone. She has several other celestial spirits. And I've been helping my best friend. You control a new and powerful magic that no living mage has mastered before! I think she'd be a bit angry with me if I saw what shape you were in and just left!"

"Fine. Get me the damn tea," Gray gritted through clenched teeth. "Before I rip off your head!" He formed a sword of ice and lunged towards Loke.

The Leo Zodiac danced out of the way and quickly vanished from sight, presumably to acquire the tea.

Gray huffed from the effort of restraining his frustration. He stuck the blade of the ice sword into the ground and leaned on the hilt tiredly. He still had a long way to go with his training. As much as he was pissed at Loke for absconding with his teammate to the Spirit World, he had to admit, she was probably safer there, than with him.

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* * *

 **OoO**

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"And then, she thought I should learn how to swim and tossed me into the lagoon!" Cancer cried out, tears streaming down his cheeks. "My scissors rusted out! It took me weeks to acquire new ones!"

"You're a crab. Shouldn't you know how to swim?" Capricorn asked.

"Here," Taurus said. He poured a generous amount of sake into Cancer's goblet. "Drown your sorrows in this. Aquarius would approve!"

"Thank you, Ebi," Cancer said, reaching for his drink.

"She taught me how to swim too," Lucy said. The spirits fell silent around the table. Aquarius's unhatched egg vibrated. "It was shortly after my mother died. I was lonely and I summoned her to play with me. She was the only friend I had. My father didn't allow me to socialize and the servants at the estate were all perfectly polite, but distant."

Taurus filled her cup, but Lucy stared at it while not really seeing it. In her mind's eye, she saw the memory of that long ago day. "At first, Aquarius kept trying to drown me. Then, she seemed to decide that it wasn't a good idea to drown Layla's only daughter. She respected my mother, but I was just annoying to her."

Aries laid her hand upon Lucy's shoulder and caressed gently. "I know she respected you too, Lucy," she said quietly.

"At the end, maybe," Lucy said. She brushed her knuckle over her cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "My father took away her key and locked it away. After I finally got over my pneumonia, I snuck into his office and stole it back."

"It's good that you did," Scorpio said. He brushed his fingertips over the egg's shell. "She was even more annoyed at your father for taking away your birthright. She felt pretty guilty about nearly killing you."

Lucy lifted her glass. "To Aquarius!" She raised the glass against her lips and drained it, the alcohol burned down her throat. She stood from the table, strode towards the egg, and hugged it. She pressed her cheek against the shell, another tear slipping onto its surface. "Maybe in this next life, you'll be a little happier."

The egg was warm and Lucy could feel a heartbeat pulsing within it.

"I suspect that Aquarius will hatch in the morning. It would be good if you could be present for that, Lucy," Scorpio said.

"I'm supposed to return to Earthland," Lucy murmured drowsily. Her eyelids felt heavy and it was a challenge to keep them open. "The Spirit King warned me about losing too much time." She stepped back from the egg and swayed.

Capricorn caught her easily. "You're not going back to Earthland in this state," he scolded.

The Gemini twins hiccuped in tandem. "Did you make the sake again, Taurus?"

"I maaaaaaay have maaaaade it a bit stroooooong," Taurus admitted.

"Where are you staying?" Capricorn asked. "At Leo's den?"

"I've been staying at Loke's place," Lucy answered. "But, he's not back and there's no way I can make it up that mountain by myself. I'll just crawl under this table and take a nap here by the lagoon."

"The water nymphs would drown you in your slumber," Scorpio said. "This is not a safe place without Aquarius reigning."

"I can scale the mountain," Capricorn replied. "I'm a goat. I have no trouble navigating steep terrain." He lifted her securely into his arms. "I'll drop you off for the night. I'll return in the morning and bring you back by the lagoon in time to watch the egg hatch."

"We could _hiccup_ take her _hiccup,_ " Gemini said. They transformed into Leo and waggled their eyebrows. "We know the way." They started towards Capricorn and Lucy, but stumbled.

"No, you drank too much of Taurus's brew," Capricorn answered.

"I'll meet you here in the morning, Princess. Then I'll return you to Earthland," Virgo promised.

"All right, fine," Lucy agreed. "Take me back to Loke's lodge and then bring me here in the morning. Then I'll go home." She raised her head and looked each of her present celestial spirits in the eye. "And remember, if I get in trouble for staying, we'll all be in trouble."

Aries clasped her hands in front of her waist anxiously. "Let's hope it doesn't come down to that," she said.

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* * *

 **OoO**

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The streets were quiet in Oshibana, a village to the northeast of Magnolia. While under the guise of a Fairy Tail mage, Loke had stopped in the village on several occasions in route for Clover Town. Later, he had been hired for his mage services by the tea shop Cha ran with her father.

Loke followed the cobblestone path to the Oshibana's Paradise Tea shop. The lights were on inside so Loke entered through the front door. No one was behind the counter, but that wasn't unusual. Probably, Cha was in the back mixing up herbs to make new batches of teas.

He busied himself by browsing the shelves. It wasn't long before he found a box of _Calm the Inner Dragon_ tea. "Got you," he said, smiling in satisfaction.

The tea was a specially blended herbal mix, popular amongst the more temperamental residents of the village. According to Cha, customers would travel from as far as Gallowstown in the far west of Fiore for this particular tea. In the past, when travel was too dangerous for an average civilian, he'd even taken a few job requests from Cha's father to deliver batches of various teas to Gallowstown.

"You!"

Loke looked up to see Cha's father.

"Mister Sorrel!" Loke held up the container of tea. "I was hoping to purchase a batch of this for a friend of mine."

"You dare to show your face in here," Sorrel growled. He held a crossbow aimed at Loke's chest. "After you broke Cha's heart!"

"Sir, I did no such thing. Cha is a very sweet girl and I think she's wonderful," Loke said, keeping his tone calm and his gestures unthreatening.

"Oh, yeah? So sweet, that you didn't think she would mind if you were also dating the Tully girl? Or the blacksmith's daughter?" Sorrel cocked back the bolt in the crossbow.

"Technically, I never said we were exclusive," Loke argued.

"Arg!" Sorrel released the bolt and Loke teleported immediately, but he wasn't fast enough. His powers were diminished from training with Gray so much and staying away from the Spirit World for too long.

The bolt struck him in the gut a fraction of a second before he arrived outside of Gray's cabin.

"What the hell?" Gray cursed. He rushed to Loke's side and gripped the bolt. "Should I pull it out, or will that just make you bleed more. I could freeze the wound and stop you from bleeding out."

Loke dropped the box of tea. "For your temper."

"I can't believe you. How did this happen?" Gray demanded. "I'm pulling it out."

Loke stared down at the black marks on Gray's arms. They began to expand. "Maybe you should leave it in," he said weakly.

Gray followed the direction of Loke's gaze. "Damn it." He gripped the bolt and yanked it out in a forceful jerk.

It felt like Loke's guts were being ripped out and he screamed bloody murder.

"Ice Make Cover," Gray muttered and a shell of ice formed over Loke's abdomen, holding his insides in. Beads of sweat formed over the Ice Mage's brow. Gray closed his eyes and rolled back on his heels. "It feels a lot stronger this time."

"Maybe you should drink the tea?" Loke suggested, his voice choked with pain.

"I think, maybe you need to leave. Now," Gray said, his voice strained. The veins in his neck were distended in effort. He turned away from Loke and grunted in pain. "You're in danger here."

Loke knew that he could return to the Spirit World in an instant and heal from his injury, but he was worried about Gray. Whatever was happening now with the Demon Slayer Magic was different.

Gray turned away from Loke and stalked towards the cabin. He braced his hands upon the wall and was eerily silent.

Loke struggled to his feet and limped towards his friend. The ice covering his side had not only sealed the wound, but also numbed the pain to a tolerable level. "What's happening to you?" He started to lay his hand upon Gray's shoulder.

Gray rounded on him abruptly, his hand transformed into a giant paw, his skin almost entirely covered in black, and his face elongated into a wolfish snout. He raked his claws across Loke's chest.

Once again, Loke was too late to avoid major damage, but he left Earthland as soon as his flesh was scored. He screamed.

His power brought him back to his lodge. His scream ended in a weak gasp as he fell to his knees in the Spirit World. The ice covering his abdomen held, but his chest dripped blood. Dazedly, he thought he saw Lucy, like a golden angel hovering over him.

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* * *

 **OoO**

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The scream woke Lucy up from a restless sleep. She sat up abruptly, disoriented by the strange environment; before she remembered she was at Loke's cabin. She scrambled out of bed to find Loke bleeding and losing consciousness on the floor.

"No, no, no," she chanted. She already lost Aquarius; there was no way she would be losing another friend. She rolled Loke onto his back, his glasses had fallen askew and his dark eyes were closing wearily. She noted the ice on his abdomen, sealing one wound, but the lacerations on his chest were most worrisome.

She rushed to the bathroom and gathered a large towel and a smaller towel, soaking the latter in hot water. She rushed back to Loke's side and tried to clean the injury, resting his head in her lap. Tears fell from her eyes as she realized how deep the wounds were.

Loke reached up and gripped her wrist with surprising strength. "Don't worry, Lucy. It will heal on its own now that I'm here." He let go of her and his hand fell limp to the floor.

Lucy brushed her hands over his unruly rust-colored hair. "Yeah, well, you're late. You missed the memorial."

"Sorry about that," Loke murmured. "Too busy with people trying to kill me back on Earthland."

"I know you made it up, at first. No such thing as a memorial up here. But, it ended up being really good. She should hatch tomorrow," Lucy continued. "The Spirit King wanted me to leave before tonight, but Taurus made the drinks too strong. Capricorn had to carry me up here."

A minute passed and Lucy worried that Loke had already fallen unconscious.

"Wouldn't want to piss off the Spirit King," Loke whispered. "But, if anyone could plead their case to him, it would be you."

"I went back to Earthland," Lucy said. "You were taking too long. Virgo and Taurus went with me. Erza convinced the Magic Council to allow the former Fairy Tail mages to use our powers to rebuild the guild house and to help with the rest of Magnolia."

"It was still a heap of rubble when I saw it," Loke grumbled.

"I can tell by the ice on your side, that you saw Gray," Lucy said. She continued to brush his hair, gently tugging on his scalp, a feeling she knew to be comforting.

Loke didn't answer. She didn't know if it was intentional or if he'd finally fallen asleep. With a tired sigh, Lucy braced her back against the side of the futon and closed her eyes.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

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Loke roused from a deep sleep feeling refreshed and energized. He kept his eyes closed and stretched catlike by arching his back. In spite of his close call with mortality, he felt extremely relaxed as a comforting scent of wildflowers flooded his nose. He absently knocked away a bit of silk tickling his nose. The silk swung back and he crinkled his nose in annoyance.

He cracked open an eyelid and then stared wide-eyed at the long blond hair curtaining him. Lucy's peaceful, slumbering face slumped over him, her brow creased with worry. He had mistaken Lucy's soft lap for his pillow. The temptation to stay in his current position with an excellent view of Lucy's generous bosom was hard to ignore and he smiled drowsily.

Loke remembered returning to the Spirit World, too injured by Gray's attack to remain on Earthland. Lucy must have found him and been unable to drag him to his bed. He was grateful. It would have been incredibly painful to be man-handled in his earlier state. Though, it was a mystery how she managed to scale the treacherous mountain region to reach his cabin.

He took a deep, pain-free breath, grateful that the ice on his side had melted. He summoned some of his innate powers and cast a light sleeping spell onto Lucy. The worry mark on her brow relaxed and she sighed contentedly.

He eased out of Lucy's lap and crouched beside her, scooping her into his arms. He carried her carefully to the bed straining only a little under her weight. She wasn't heavy exactly, but Lucy Heartfilia was a solid, full-figured woman. As his gaze lingered on the steady rise and fall of her chest, he didn't mind at all.

Loke tucked her into the covers and stared at her silently as she snuggled deeper into the cocoon of his blankets. He meant to retreat immediately to the futon on the other side of the room, but the temptation to stay with his beautiful mage was strong.

He lingered at her side, sitting on the edge of his bed, while he caressed her golden hair, enjoying the way the silky weight of it slipped through his fingers. He cared for Lucy a great deal, sometimes so much it scared him. For centuries, he'd enjoyed tasting life one pretty woman at a time. Not since Aries, had he actually bothered to actually befriend a female. And that friendship got him in trouble. He violated his duties as a contracted Celestial Spirit to their former master. Karen was a cruel mistress, but it wasn't his place to condemn her to death.

He wasn't the only Zodiac that adored Lucy. The Gemini Twins, Virgo, and Taurus were fiercely protective of her. Loke had masqueraded as a mage for so long, perhaps he understood better than most, the improbability of Lucy collecting so many Zodiacs to her side. Like moths to a flame, they were all drawn to her bright, warm spirit, and he was no different.

Loke was beyond pleased that Lucy could access his Star Dress. It was a special, intimate bond between Spirit Mage and Spirit. But he wasn't a fool, within a short amount of time, she'd be able to access the Star Dress to all her Zodiacs. They all wanted that special bond with her. He wasn't even the first to share a Star Dress with Lucy, Aquarius beat him to it. But that didn't matter, it didn't change his feelings.

Remembering keenly the wrath of Cha's father, Loke leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Lucy's temple. She murmured in her sleep, but his spell would keep her slumbering.

He started for the uncomfortable futon across the room, but was stopped by a steel-like grip on his wrist.

"You're not going anywhere, Loke," Lucy mumbled. She looked up at him with sleep-muddled chocolate eyes.

"You need rest, Lucy." Loke flashed her a forced smile. He really needed to put some distance between them. Did she have any idea the image she made with her sleep tousled hair, full lips, and generous cleavage peeking out at him from the covers? "I'll just be on the other side of the room."

Lucy's grip tightened with a force behind her normal strength and she pulled him back to the edge of the bed. Loke frowned. How long had he been gone exactly?

"Why do you always run away from me?" Lucy used her free hand to rub the sleep from her eyes. Next she looked at him, her eyes were clear with keen intelligence. "What happened to you?" She yawned and then shook her head. "What did you do? Cast some sort of sleeping spell on me?"

"And it should have been more potent than this." Loke sighed heavily, his shoulders heaved in frustration. "Fine." He laid back, stretched out beside her on the bed with the thin barrier of his covers separating them. "After I checked on the ruins of the Guild Hall, I checked on Gray. He's struggling with his new powers."

Lucy chuckled and shifted beside him. Her palm rested casually on his shoulder with an aqua-blue bracelet on her wrist. and Loke stiffened. She didn't seem to notice, or maybe she didn't care. "The Guild Hall isn't rubble anymore," she declared with a hint of pride in her voice. "Before the Memorial, I went to Earthland with Virgo and Taurus. I accessed my Star Dress with them both! Gajeel was leading several guild mates to repair the damage. Erza convinced the magic council to allow us to use our powers, even with the guild disbandment, to help in Magnolia's recovery."

"You accessed both Taurus and Virgo's Star Dress?" Loke angled his face towards her, noting the smug expression on his spirit mage's face.

Lucy flashed him a confident smile. "At the same time!"

"I'm sorry I missed the Memorial." Loke began to pick at his thumb nail. The whole sham had been his idea and Lucy had to have been pissed at him. All the Zodiacs were probably pissed at him for getting them involved in his hair-brain scheme.

"It was nice. Taurus brought very strong alcohol." Lucy giggled. "Aquarius should be reborn, and Scorpio feels she'll be in a better mood. Her egg seemed to vibrate eagerly whenever someone told a story about how they cared for her."

"When she's reborn, her key will appear somewhere on Earthland," Loke explained. "I'm sure she'd want you to find it."

"You can help me." Lucy turned her forehead against his shoulder. "I need to head back in the morning. The Spirit King warned me that I should return soon. I think he's being mindful of my need to return to my friends before too much time passes. But, I couldn't leave before Aquarius was reborn."

Loke stopped picking at his thumb and reached up with his hand to rub a soothing circle over Lucy's back. It took all of his dwindling will-power not to hug her against him. "After her egg hatches, I'll take you back."

His sleeping spell had finally taken affect and Lucy slumbered peacefully at his side. Loke rolled away from her, securing the blankets around her once more.

He started to pace, his bare feet chilled on the stone floor. Lucy would be fine, he'd see to it. He wouldn't trust her security in the hands of her other Zodiacs. He failed her in this past trip to her realm, but he wouldn't fail again. He only stayed because of Gray. He was his best friend and Lucy's close friend as well. If Loke hadn't tried to help Gray, she might not have forgiven him. The new Demon Slayer magic was corrupting him and Lucy needed Gray. She couldn't stay protected in the Spirit World forever.

Loke was her Rock. Natsu was her champion, but the Dragon Slayer had left with naught by a hastily scribbled note. When Lucy lost her keys, Loke brought them to her. When she was in dire straits — he was the one that summoned himself to her side. Except, if he was on a date, then he would send Virgo in his stead.

He cringed at his own selfishness. He wouldn't be putting his flirtatious floozies before Lucy's safety again. His dates were superficial distractions. He never allowed himself to get close enough to any woman to be tempted with love. Lust was good enough for him. However, if something happened to Lucy — if he lost her — he would ask the Spirit King to obliterate him once and for all.

Maybe he'd help Lucy get an apartment on Earthland. She could get a civilian job and he could continue to work odd delivery jobs. They'd work towards finding Aquarius's new key. And if things became dangerous, he'd simply abduct Lucy from Earthland back to the Spirit World indefinitely. She tended to be upset if she lost too much time in her world, having already lost seven years to Tenrou Island, but she could be pissed at him all she wanted — as long as she was alive.

There was a brisk knock at the door. Loke growled in annoyance. He sniffed the air, expanding his lion senses. What was the Capricorn doing here? He ambled towards the door and opened it a crack. "What do you want?" Loke braced his legs apart, blocking entrance into his home, and prepared to unleash his Regulus attack if necessary.

Capricorn snatched off his sunglasses and glared down at Loke from his superior height. "The question should be — where were you, Leo?" His dark eyes darted past Loke's shoulders towards the bed and his shoulders relaxed marginally. "I've come to collect Lucy. Aquarius' hatching is imminent."

Loke snarled at being questioned by the antagonistic goat. If anything, Loke had Lucy's best interests at heart compared to her other Celestial Spirits. Their friendship was formed before she even knew he was a Zodiac, and she saved his life from the Spirit King's wrath. Of course, he was loyal to her completely! He practically worshiped her!

Loke cleared his throat and forced a carefree smile. "I was detained."

Capricorn raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Why is there blood on the floor?"

Loke scowled. No way could the goat smell the faint blood stains!

Capricorn jerked his chin. "There is a dark stain on the floor." He glared down at Loke. "I have excellent vision, Leo. What happened?"

"Gray lost control of his new powers," Loke admitted. "He's both my friend and Lucy's and she'd be devastated to learn he was struggling. If I had been a mortal, I'd be dead."

"She should stay away from him." Capricorn looked past Leon with eyes dark with worry. He slipped back on his sunglasses to hide his emotions. "Are you going to wake her, or shall I?"

"Give me thirty minutes. We'll both be there," Loke promised. He shut his door securely in Capricorn's face, leaving no room for argument.

"You can slam the door in my face, but I promised Lucy I'd be here," Capricorn's muffled voice carried through the walls. "I'll wait right here and if fifteen minutes pass, I'll break down your door."

Loke ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He shouldn't have given Lucy the sleeping spell. It simply had to run its course. He returned to the bed and shook Lucy's shoulder. She mumbled unintelligently.

"Lucy, you have to wake up," Loke gently coaxed. "It's time for Aquarius' egg to hatch. Capricorn is waiting outside ready to break down my door." He growled in irritation. "Draw on my power, Lucy. Draw on the Leo Star Dress for a surge of energy to break this sleep spell."

Lucy hummed quietly, a sweet tune he didn't recognize. A soft golden glow surrounded her and he felt his spell broken. Lucy blinked up at him with alert eyes. "Capricorn is waiting?" She sat up and rubbed the back of her neck, groaning. "Remind me not to go to sleep leaning over you."

She was ready momentarily, changing outfits herself, drawing on Virgo's power. Loke stood dumbfounded. He'd only been gone a short while. How had she managed so much!

As if feeling his heavy gaze, Lucy smiled at him. "You were right, Loke. The more time I spend here, the quicker I master new skills." She brushed past him and opened his door.

Loke picked up the bag they packed from her apartment and slung it over his shoulders.

"Good morning, Capricorn!" Lucy greeted cheerfully.

"Mistress Lucy," Capricorn said with a tight smile. He bowed respectfully and then scooped Lucy up into his arms.

"Hey!" Loke protested. "This is my mountain. I'll carry Lucy down."

"Lucy is my Spirit Mage too," Capricorn argued. "I was loyal to Layla for years and will continue to be loyal to Lucy for life." He started down the mountain with nimble feet. "You worry about the luggage!"

Loke adjusted the bag more securely over his shoulder and glared at Capricorn's retreating figure. He was about to roar his fury, when Lucy looked over Capricorn's shoulder and waved at him.

With a defeated sigh, Loke followed after them.

Virgo waited impatiently at the mountain's base. "Princess! You're outfit is quite fetching!"

"Thank you," Lucy said, a faint blush on her cheeks. "It's not as good as you, but it's definitely a trick to have. Maybe this way I won't end up naked quite so often."

Virgo nodded. "It is awkward how often you lose your clothes. It seems you and your friend Gray Fullbuster both have a penchant for stripping. Does it have anything to do with when you traded bodies with the Ice Mage?"

"I think it's just an unhappy coincidence," Lucy mumbled. "They even made an action figure of me where my clothes pop off."

A faint smile at Loke's lips. He bought one of those action figures.

"Unacceptable!" Capricorn rumbled. He set Lucy on her feet. "I will go to Earthland myself and destroy all of these action figures!"

"It's okay, Capricorn." Lucy held her hands up in protest. "That's not necessary. Besides, I'm pretty sure most of them were destroyed in the attack that decimated most of Magnolia."

"Well you let me know if it happens again," Capricorn huffed.

"The others are waiting at the lagoon. Shall we be off?" Virgo asked.

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* * *

 **OoO**

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Days had passed before Gray regained consciousness. His right arm throbbed, the black Demon Slayer tattoo had condensed in size compared to his last memory.

He clutched his head, surprised to find twigs mixed into his thick hair. He plucked one out and frowned. Had he been sleeping in the forest? Why would he do that when he had a perfectly good cabin?

There was no sign of Loke, but he did find signs of a struggle on the ground outside his cabin. He cringed at the sight of his cabin — it was completely encased in ice. That might explain why he'd been sleeping under trees. He laid his hand and frowned, noting his fingers nails were caked in blood. He ignored the anomaly and focused instead upon the icy enclosure. He concentrated on deconstructing the bonds between the frozen water molecules.

A loud crack formed as the ice began to splinter and fall away from his cabin.

Gray walked the perimeter of his cabin and found a dark stain of blood marring the dirt in front of the cabin. Gray crouched to examine the scene more closely. A trampled box caught his attention and he opened the lid to find several bags of calming teas.

"Loke," Gray murmured. He remembered his friend had been sparring with him, trying to help him tame the darkness of the new magic he possessed. What happened? Had he attacked Loke?

Gray rubbed at his chest in frustration. Why couldn't he remember? Silver hadn't been able to control the darkness of Demon Slayer Magic. Would Gray be able to? He refused to be a liability to his friends. If he couldn't learn to control the power within him, then he'd be better off alone.

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End file.
